Patent GB-1000031-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to the treatment of polymeric organic materials
Inventor: VALENTINE LESLIE MACKENZIE
IPC: D06M13/278
Filed: 1960-04-08
Abstract: Polyvinyl alcohol and cellulose materials which may be in the form of textile materials, regenerated cellulose film or paper are reacted with a compound having the formula SO(CHR1CHR2OX)2 in which R1 and R2 are hydrogen atoms or alkyl groups containing 1-3 carbon atoms which may be the same or different and OX is the radical of a polybasic inorganic acid, preferably sulphuric or phosphoric acid, or a salt thereof in the presence of an alkaline or potentially alkaline catalyst, e.g. sodium hydroxide, carbonate or silicate or sodium or potassium bicarbonate, and preferably with heating to temperatures higher than 100 DEG  C.ALSO:Esters having the formula SO(CH2CH2OX)2 in which OX represents the radical of sulphuric acid or a salt thereof or of phosphoric acid or a salt thereof are prepared by the reaction of hydrogen sulphide with ethylene oxide to produce the bis-hydroxyethyl sulphide which is then oxidized to the corresponding sulphoxide and esterified with oleum, chlorsulphonic acid, phosphorus pentoxide or phosphorus oxychloride and if desired converted to the salts. The examples refer to the preparation of the di-sodium salt of bis-b -sulphate ethyl sulphoxide and the phosphate ester of bis-b -hydroxyethyl sulphoxide.ALSO:Paper and textile materials containing at least one reactive-OH, > NH or -SH group, e.g. fibres, yarns or woven, non-woven or knitted fabrics made from cotton, linen viscose rayon, cellulose diacetate, wool or polyvinylalcohol, are reacted with a compound having the formula <FORM:1000031/D1-D2/1> in which R1 and R2 are hydrogen atoms or alkyl groups containing 1-3 carbon atoms which may be the same or different and OX is the radical of a polybasic inorganic acid, preferably sulphuric or phosphoric acid, or a salt thereof in the presence of an alkaline or potentially alkaline catalyst, e.g. sodium hydroxide, carbonate or silicate or sodium or potassium bicarbonate.  The textile materials are crease-proofed and shrink-proofed and pleated, glazed and embossed effects made before or during the treatment are rendered resistance to washing and the fixation of stiffening agents, e.g. starch, is improved. The treated materials also have an increased resistance to swelling.  The materials may be impregnated with an aqueous solution of the sulphoxide compound and sufficient alkalis to neutralise any acid liberated and a slight excess to catalyse the reaction with the material or the alkaline catalyst may be applied in a separate step, and the impregnated material may then be dried and heated, e.g. to temperatures above 100 DEG C.  Textile materials may also be treated with a synthetic resin precondensate, e.g. a urea-ethylene urea-or melamine-formaldehyde precondensate, or formaldehyde together with an acid catalyst, e.g. zinc nitrate.  This may be effected by treating the textile material first with the alkaline or potentially alkaline catalyst and the sulphoxide compound and then with the resin precondensate and acid catalyst and then drying and heating or by first treating it with the resin precondensate and acid catalyst, drying and heating and then treating it with the sulphoxide compound and the alkaline or potentially alkaline catalyst.  Alternatively the textile materials may be treated with the resin precondensate, acid catalyst and sulphoxide compound, dried, heated and then treated with the alkaline or potentially alkaline catalyst.  If a urea-formaldehyde resin precondensate is used sodium bicarbonate may be used to catalyse both the resin formation and the reaction of the sulphoxide compound with the textile materials.